A long overdue update

Hi everyone,
Yes its me again...back after a long break....let me again start with an apology for the exceptionally long silence. As they say silence is often followed by violence.....so let me rack my brains violently to update you on events that have occured in my not so exciting life in the past few months.

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Probably the first thing to happen after my last mail would have been the British fireworks championsip. Needless to say as every other major event that Plymouth hosts, the venue was once again at the Hoe.It was a cool summer night and i went there imagining a world class spectacle.I must say that although there was much ooohs and aaahs from the crowd, i went back a little diappointed.Perhaps its because it lacked the "bangs" we associate with fireworks back in India. The fire works were setoff on a strech of land separated from the hoe by the sea and was more of a visual display than the noisy affair we have come to love back home....I wondered if some of the local displays we have for the religious festivals in India, would have outclassed the British fireworks champions!

Talking about fireworks..i experienced another situation where i was at the recieving end of fireworks...this time it was with a bat and ball.
As some of you may be aware we have a cricket team at the Marine biological assosciation that i play for. As a tradition we get to play against the Marine commandos each year.Anyway we ended up badly short of the 11 players needed and had to rope in people who had never held a cricket bat in their entire life (my class mates).Its bad enough having to play the commandos but playing them with a makeshift team was really asking for trouble.
Although it was a great day with lovely weather and an imposing ground i didnt enjoy being smashed all around the ground and then getting out for a single run!when it looked liked we would lose badly,amazingly, my inexperienced team mates put on an unbelievable performance...what a debut..producing strokes that any cricketer would have dreamed of playing. Anyway the target was too high to reach but we played for pride and our last batsman(batswoman) survived to the last ball inspite of the loss.
Another event worth mentioning is my first english wedding...well not mine....my friend and classmate Suzanne got married and i was invited to the wedding reception.The venue for the party was at a luxury hotel called Kitely house,formerly a large country house which amongst its many occupants boasts of the author of the nursery rhyme "old mother Hubbard".
There is much difference between an Indian wedding reception and an English one but the aim is as usual to eat drink dance, and enjoy ...unfortunately i donot have more pictures to share with you about me dancing and making a fool of myself! anyway it was an enjoyable party.

While visiting my cousin in Doncaster, we went for a trip to York included in which were visits to several landmarks : York Minster cathedral,which was built between the 12th and the 15th Century and is the largest Gothic church in England.
The National rail museum which houses such treasures as the mallard..the fastest steam locomotive, the Royal train of queen victoria, and the bullet train among others.
..and the city walls of York which was built in roman times and are over 1900 years old.

In between all this i have had to move out of my old house into another one as my contract was over.
I must say that i will miss my old place where i have undergone many a first experience in this new world that is U.K. This is a picture of my good old landlord Jerry with me.

As many of you may already be aware i have finished my project and have submitted the thesis which is currently being valued. I am meanwhile keeping myself busy applying for jobs. I also have the opportunity to present a poster on my work in a conference in Belgium next month. I`m excited about it and i request all your prayers for it to be a succesful one. If everything goes well i hope to be updating you all with my trip to belgium next time.